SLOVAKIA

• "NR SR posunula do druhého cítania novelu zákona o elektronických komunikáciách" - the Slovak government approved new amendments to the law on electronic communication in September 2005 - they take effect on 1 January 2006.
• "Slovak public WiFi networks seen to be in danger," APC News, 5 May 2005 - an English-language report on the controversy surrounding new draft rules that would ban the use of non-standard antennas for Wi-fi in the 2.4 GHz band. See next item.
• "Používate Wi-Fi sieť? Čoskoro môže byť nelegálna," Vseobecné povolenie RLAN - lead article on a Slovak-language website set up in May 2005 to protest new draft licensing rules that would ban the use of nonstandard antennas in the licence-exempt 2.4 GHz band. The article includes the text of the draft rules.
• More recently, Norbert Brazda (Changenet.sk's editor and source for the reports above) sent us email advising that a spokesman from the Slovak Telecommunication Office wrote to the protesters to say that the "Office will publish new corrected draft of the general licence. He promised that the draft will be available for comments and that NGOs might participate in process of comments evaluation."
• Všeobecné povolenie č. VPR - 01/2001: RLAN" - the rules for WiFi from 2001 (in Slovak).
• "Na poskytovanie internetu bude k dispozícii dalšie 'volné - pásmo' " - Telecom Office press release in Slovak, 25 October 2004: from 5 November, Internet service providers can offer wireless access in bands other than 2.4 GHz and 5.470-5.725 GHz using spread spectrum at powers of up to 1 watt without the need for licensing or registration. The announcement includes other new rules for license exempt RLANs in the 5 GHz band.
• All about SK Freenet, in Slovak.
• The Slovak Telecom Office's list of free hotspots.
• Informačná sloboda (Informational Freedom) - activists group.
• National Table of Frequency Allocations of the Slovak Republic (in English and Slovak). Here is an archive of updates to the allocations table.

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